The vast disparities between the First World, which has vast wealth and technology, and the Third World, suffering from wretched poverty and underdevelopment, is a product of the years of European colonization, exploitation, and genocide that built the current international order. The capitalist economic system is based upon the accumulation of capital; the gluttonous desire for more capital subsequently led to European nations invading other territories, gaining hegemonic control over their resources, establishing joint-stock companies, and utilizing the resources and wealth of other people for the exclusive economic benefit of Europeans.

The spiritually deficient materialistic nature of the capitalist economic system results in Europeans perpetually chasing “worldly gain,” which is characterized by endlessly chasing after material items. The current international order that runs on the dominance of the capitalist economic system continuously results in more and more wealth being hoarded by a tiny, rich and white elite. As a result…

Yesterday I wrote about an example of why the law can be “ridiculous”, or illogical, immoral, unethical, or all three depending on the intent of the law. My example articulated the “ridiculousness” of a society where a teenager could face life in prison for an inextreme, non-violent action (making hash oil brownies) when violent offenses (rape) do not receive the possibility of life in prison.

Today, on Veteran’s day, I had a conversation with a man who was a Vietnam Veteran and opposed the war during his youth. This reminded me of one of my favorite documentaries,

“Weather Underground”. Here is the link:

The Weathermen opposed the war in Vietnam and openly declared war on the United States domestically. They were the most radical form of the opposition to Vietnam, and embodied the young, rebellious, reactionary pulse of the anti-War movement. The ultimate form of dissent against society, they vowed to take on the burden of perpetration of violence in order to stop the greater violence that was perpetrated against both the youth of America, and the Vietnamese people. It is a good exploration on the nature of violence.

When a law system does a violence against it’s people, the people react. It is time for the people to non-violently oppose prohibition type drug laws against marijuana. It is a violence against people who do not perpetrate violence. I hope more young people my age can help speak for this young man and peacefully protest and change our society’s polities on marijuana.

The law is not equal to morality. A Texas teenager could go jail for life for selling brownies made with hash oil butter. This is ridiculous. We don’t even send rapists to prison for life. The law has no legitimate authority holding marijuana hostage under the assertion of mandatory prohibition. Colorado has already proven that it is a multi-million dollar industry, something which could feasibly turn many states economies around for the positive. Crimes like rape, which we do not give life sentences for, serve no positive purpose for society. Yet we do not give these crimes life in prison. But in Texas, a teenager, could go to prison for the rest of his life for a brownie made with hash oil. Something should be re-evaluated.

These photos by San Francisco photographer Chloe Aftel are part of a series shot for San Francisco magazine, depicting the city’s agender and genderqueer community. The series has its roots in a truly ghastly incident last year in San Francisco, when high school senior Sasha Fleischman was set on fire on a public bus. Fleischman, who identifies as neither male nor female, was left with second- and third-degree burns. Aftel’s photos portray Fleischman on their return from hospital, along with other young people who identify as agender or genderqueer. There’s heaps more information about the project at Featureshoot, where we first saw these photos, and Aftel’s website.